'Vodka Eyeballing' Trend Could Prove Dangerous to Eyes

Buzz-seeking college students have found a novel drinking stunt to gain popularity among peers "vodka eyeballing" which, according to experts could cause long-term damage to the eyes.

'Vodka Eyeballing' Trend Could Prove Dangerous to Eyes

In 'Vodka eyeballing', buzz-seeking partiers tip back their heads and have a shot of vodka poured directly on the eye.

The trend is believed to have originated at Las Vegas nightclubs, as waitresses, hungry for tips, performed the cheap trick.

And now, it has gained popularity in the U.S., U.K. and Scotland, reports the Daily Mail.

Vodka eyeballers claim to experience an instant high and deeper inebriation.

They believe that the alcohol passes easily through the mucous membrane and enters the bloodstream through veins at the back of the eye for a quicker buzz than drinking.

While doctors have dismissed this reasoning, they are deeply concerned about long-term damage, like permanent scarring and deteriorating vision.

"In the past, vodka has been used as a disinfectant. At 40 percent proof, imagine what it can do to an area as sensitive as the eye? It is highly toxic," the New York Daily Mail quoted Prof. Robin Touquet, a consultant in emergency medicine at St. Mary's Hospital in Paddington, U.K., as saying.

But, detached to sensible thinking and urged by peers to compete, students act recklessly and with disregard to the consequences.

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